Overview:
Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis presents the religion that is Christianity in the most unbiased, straightforward, and simple way possible. Told from a former atheist, now Christian perspective, the text offers insightful knowledge on moral law, who God is, the relationship of Christ, and how to live outwardly as a faithful Christian. Lewis does not come in with the intention of transformation, but rather, he presents the facts so that readers can make or not make the decision to be or become a follower of Christ. However, his ideas are not fluffed with rainbows and unicorns. Despite the 3.5 million copies that have been sold, there is some confusion about how it is so popular. His well-defined opinions are included in the story, and non-Christians that have a closed mind could be easily offended. It is important to note that the information was not intended to be a book, but rather a “broadcast talk” during World War II.
My thoughts:
Source: fee.org
From the very beginning you can infer that C.S. Lewis is an extremely intelligent man. At times, it was hard for me to understand what point he was trying to make because of the academic level at which he writes. I kept reading through the struggle and it became easier and easier to understand. This is one of those books you read over and over again and each time something new catches your eye and you start to wonder if those words just appeared or if you just skimmed over them the last time. In my opinion, this compelling story is a must read for Christians, non-Christians, and all those in between.
Here are some of my favorite quotes from the text:
“God cannot give us a happiness and peace apart from Himself, because it is not there. There is no such thing.” pg. 50
“The whole purpose for which we exist is to be thus taken into the life of God.” pg. 161
“When Christ died, He died for you individually just as much as if you had been the only man in the world.” pg. 168
“If you want joy, power, peace, eternal life, you must get close to, or even into, the thing that has them. They are not a sort of prize which God could, if He chose, just hand out to anyone. They are a great fountain of energy and beauty spurting up at the very centre of reality.” pg. 176
Reviews:
One anonymous reviewer on goodreads stated, “If you are looking for a book that will convince you to take the leap of faith and become a Christian…then don’t waste your time. No book will convince you. However, if you are looking for the facts about real Christianity… then you can’t do much better than Lewis.” and another stated, “People either love this book or hate it. Without passing judgment I don’t see how people can actually hate it. Seriously. C.S. Lewis simply breaks down the fundamental truths of Christianity. Personally I love how he goes beyond all the denominations, beyond who’s more right, beyond who’s more wrong and finds that common thread they all seem to follow.”
If you are looking for a spiritually challenging read, look no further than Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis.
Media by Shelbi Fisher
